Licortwist's Backstory
by TheDisneyFan365
Summary: In his backstory, Licortwist wasn't always a twisted, malicious villain. He was once a prince, a good person, and even a great friend. But this is how all good things ended for him. Note: All of the events in this story happened in Licortwist's 'programmed' memories, so the Sugar Rush game backstory is slightly different then how it actually is, and there's no Turbo.
1. The Birth Of Licortwist Hothead

**Chapter 1: The Birth Of Licortwist Hothead**

 _"Location: Licorice Island, November 5th 1988"_

In the world of Sugar Rush, there was an island that was called Licorice Island. It was a land that was filled with people or things that were licorice themed, such as people and animals. Much of the island was nothing but a forest of licorice trees and six lakes that had red colored water. There were farms too, and the farmers that lived on the farms grew licorice related crops. Licorice Island's town, Twizzler Town, was in the center of the island. It contained a small amount of houses that were made with red and black bricks, streets that were made of licorice bricks, and a large bronze statue of a man was standing in the middle of the square over a magnificent fountain. That man was the king of Licorice Island, and he had a lot of power and ruled the kingdom with great responsibility, and all of his subjects loved him. His name was Gary Hothead, a thirty two year old man who kept everything in the island under his control. He had pale skin, black hair, and red eyes, and he wore a golden crown, a fancy black robe, and black boots. He, alongside his wife, lived happily for a long time, ruling the kingdom together. Gary's wife, Queen Cindy Lickerish, was a lovely woman that loved to have fun and play, as well as being supportive and a hard worker. She had pale skin, freckles, red hair, and blue eyes, and she wore a black dress and black heels.

Everything was great for the royal couple, except the two of them didn't have any children. They had been married for the past eleven years, but they hadn't been blessed with any children yet. Gary and Cindy were worried that they wouldn't have any children and wouldn't have an heir. But finally, Cindy was told that she was pregnant. She and Gary were filled with happiness, and nine months later, they were blessed with their firstborn, who was a boy.

Cindy held her white bundle of joy and held him closely to her, consuming him with many kisses. The baby boy squealed at his mother's love, and his red eyes lit up whenever his mother smiled down at him. There was a knock on the door, and Cindy looked up.

"Come in." Cindy called out.

The door opened, and Gary walked into the room. The Licorice themed king had a smile on his face as he approached his wife. This was his first time seeing his child.

"He's beautiful. What did you name him?" Gary asked as he looked fondly at his son.

"Licortwist." Cindy replied with a smile.

Cindy closed her eyes and nuzzled Licortwist.


	2. The Licorice Pieces

**Chapter 2: The Licorice Pieces**

 _"Location: Licorice Island, June 23rd 1995"_

The years passed very quickly, and Cindy and Gary were happy to see how quickly their son grew. By now, Licortwist was 7 years old, and ever since he could walk, he was being taught to act as a royal prince at court. The king and queen knew what the outcome in the future would be. It was tradition that the oldest or only child would win the title as king or queen, and since Licortwist was their only child, the title would go to him.

One day, Cindy looked outside from the window of her and Gary's bedroom and noticed her son out in the forest. Licortwist lied down on the grass, while the kingdom's majordomo, Lemon Honey, elegantly held onto a fan in her hand. The queen wished that Licortwist would focus on his studies, but he was more focused on having fun. As he lied there, Licortwist began to poke a daisy as it swayed back and forth when he touched it. Lemon looked at him and sighed.

"Prince Licortwist, you are never going to be a king if you keep acting like a child." Lemon warned.

Licortwist scowled and ignored the majordomo's warning. He was a child and his job was to have fun, and he was not going to let anyone take that away from him. His hand reached towards the daisy, but just as he was about to pluck it, a peculiar sounding buzzing and clicking noise was heard before a bunch of tiny red licorice pieces swarmed over to him before stopping a few feet away from him. Licortwist perked up when he saw the licorice pieces that were a few feet away in front of him.

"Strange." Licortwist muttered.

Licortwist's small fingers moved towards the licorice pieces. But what happened next shocked him. Just as he was about to touch the licorice pieces, they rose up and touched his hand. Licortwist pulled away, and the licorice pieces fell to the ground. Licortwist was confused as to why that happened, but then he thought of an idea and decided to test it. Thinking of something, the licorice pieces all rose up into the air and formed a shape that vaguely resembled a cat. Licortwist was amazed.

"Wow." Licortwist whispered.

Licortwist decided to have the licorice pieces form another shape. As he thought, the licorice pieces obeyed. He watched in satisfaction as all of them shot into the air before forming a large red pudgy cat.

"Ha!" Licortwist shouted out in triumph.

Licortwist then made one of the cat's paws raise up and then down, and then he made the tail swish back and forth. He then wondered if there could be more licorice pieces, so he waved his right arm forward. As soon as he did, more licorice pieces flew out of his arm and joined up with the other licorice pieces. Licortwist then looked over at Lemon, who was continuing to wave her fan, and a mischievous smile appeared on his lips. Licortwist thrusted his arm forward, and the licorice pieces swarmed over to Lemon. The licorice pieces rested by Lemon's feet, and she looked down and noticed the licorice pieces.

"Huh? Where did they come from?" Lemon asked in confusion.

"From me." Licortwist replied.

Licortwist formed more licorice pieces and had them pile under him and lift him up five feet into the air. Lemon gasped and ran over to Licortwist.

"Licortwist, stop!" Lemon ordered.

Lemon grabbed Licortwist's arm, but that accidentally caused Licortwist to hit her with the licorice pieces. Lemon got thrown back onto the ground. Licortwist gasped and had the licorice pieces bring him to the ground before having them fall to the ground. Licortwist then ran over to Lemon and helped her up.

"Lemon, are you alright?" Licortwist asked in concern.

Lemon held her head and nodded.

"I'm fine, Licortwist." Lemon replied.

Licortwist and Lemon then told Cindy and Gary about the licorice pieces, and from then on, Licortwist was trained to have better control over the licorice pieces.


	3. Two Terrible Tragedies

**Chapter 3: Two Terrible Tragedies**

 _"Location: Licorice Island, February 2nd 1996"_

A year passed, and it was winter on Licorice Island. Licortwist, who was now 8 years old, was using the licorice pieces to swarm down one of the hallways of the palace. He was having the time of his life and he laughed happily as he moved down the hallway. Just then, a servant walked into the hall.

"Prince Licortwist?" the servant asked.

Licortwist rushed passed him, and the servant accidentally tripped over the licorice pieces.

"Sorry, coming through." Licortwist called out as he continued to speed down the halls, laughing as he went.

* * *

 _"Location: Licorice Island, March 4th 1996"_

A month passed. One day, Licortwist was standing in front of Cindy and Gary in the throne room because they wanted to talk to him.

"Son, I'm glad that your getting more control over your powers, but you can't have fun all of the time. You still have your lessons. We want to make sure that your ready to take the throne when your older." Gary said.

Licortwist sighed.

"I know, father. But I just like to have fun every now and then." Licortwist said.

Cindy put her hand on Licortwist's shoulder.

"You can still have fun, but we just want to make sure that you put what's important first." Cindy said.

Licortwist nodded.

"Yes, mother." Licortwist said.

Licortwist then left the throne room.

* * *

 _"Location: Licorice Island, January 10th 1997"_

A year passed. One day, Licortwist, who was now 9 years old, was practicing different styles of combat, mainly fighting styles of archery and dual wielding.

"Prince Licortwist?" a voice asked.

Licortwist turned towards the owner of the voice, who happened to be Lemon.

"The king has requested your presence." Lemon announced.

Licortwist put down the bow that he was practicing with and followed Lemon inside.

* * *

"Are you serious?" Licortwist asked.

Gary smiled.

"Yes. I'm leading an expedition to an old ruin nearby to examine some reports, and I want you to come as well. I think that it would be a good experience for you." Gary replied.

Licortwist nodded.

"Alright, I'll come with you." Licortwist said.

* * *

 _"Location: Licorice Island, January 11th 1997"_

The next day, Licortwist and Gary were on horseback with a squad of armored soldiers in front of what looked like the entrance to an ancient temple. They rode into the ruin and started making their way through the pathways in the ruin. Fifteen minutes later, Licortwist, Gary, and the soldiers were in one of the deepest parts of the ruin, and they were using torches to give them more light. Suddenly, Gary stopped walking and held up a hand.

"Wait, I see something up ahead." Gary said.

Everyone looked forward to see what looked like a camp.

"Bandits." Gary sneered.

Licortwist tensed up. Bandits on Licorice Island weren't like most bandits. Most of them used to be soldiers, but they were kicked out of the army for being too extreme. They were skilled fighters and had cunning minds that could not be trusted. Gary gave different orders to everyone. Licortwist stayed with Gary, while the soldiers snuck off in different directions.

Everyone started to close in on the bandits from all directions. There were at least ten of them, which was strange because bandits usually never traveled in groups that large. One of them, probably the leader, looked up.

"There's no use with your hiding. We know that your there." the leader called out.

All the bandits got up and took out their weapons, which were swords, spears, and clubs.

"Unfortunately, we won't let you leave this place alive." the leader said.

A battle then started. The guards were overcoming some of the bandits, but there were other bandits that were better then the guards. Licortwist and Gary were fighting side by side, but soon the bandits separated the two of them. From where he was, Licortwist was fighting with two swords and he was focused on the bandits that he was fighting. However, he didn't notice a bandit that was sneaking up behind him. The bandit struck a few nerves on Licortwist's back and arms, and he could barely move. The bandits grabbed Licortwist and attempted to kill him, but right when they were about to do so, the leader stopped them.

"No, don't kill him... not yet. I want him to see this." the leader said.

The leader walked over to where a few other bandits were holding Gary down.

"Long... live... the king." the leader said, sarcastically.

Licortwist could only stare in horror as the leader brought his sword down and ended Gary's life. Licortwist growled and tried to break free, but the bandit that was holding him down was strong. Licortwist then remembered that he had the licorice pieces, and he waved his right hand forward. The licorice pieces flew out of his arm and gathered on the ground, and Licortwist's feelings of rage, grief, and sadness intensified as the licorice pieces rose up in the air in a menacing swarm. And then, without any warning, a large licorice spike shot up, stabbing straight through the bandit that was holding Licortwist down. Licortwist easily broke out of his grip and looked at the other bandits.

"Kill him!" the leader ordered.

The bandits charged at Licortwist. Licortwist had the licorice pieces raise him in the air, and he charged them head on. The bandits were completely helpless against him. The first one tried to swing his sword at Licortwist, but the sword did no damage to the licorice pieces, and Licortwist simply used the licorice pieces to cut the bandit's arm off before stabbing his heart. The second bandit tried to use a sneak attack, but Licortwist heard him coming, and he quickly turned around and had the licorice pieces wrap around his neck. Licortwist tightened the licorice pieces grip, and there was a snap before the bandit fell to the ground, his head sliding away from being separated from his body. Licortwist turned around to the last two bandits that charged at him. Licortwist thrusted his arm forward, and the licorice pieces formed into spikes that impaled the two bandits. Licortwist then turned his attention to the bandit's leader, who looked terrified. Licortwist's red eyes narrowed at him and then he shot his hands forward. The licorice pieces shot forward and impacted the center of the leader's chest. He screamed in pain before collapsing on the ground, dying immediately from his wound.

Breathing heavily, Licortwist looked at the area around him. Did he really just do that? He then remembered his father. Licortwist ran to wear Gary's body laid and he tried to look for any sign that he was alive, but the boy found none. Tears began to form and Licortwist cried in the empty ruins.

* * *

Licortwist was the only one that survived the battle. He brought Gary's body back to the castle and sent more guards to collect the other bodies. Cindy was heartbroken at the news of losing her husband, but she realized that she had to still care for her son. So, she continued to raise Licortwist.

* * *

 _"Location: Licorice Island, February 11th 1997"_

A month had passed since Gary's death. Licortwist was playing with the licorice pieces in the forest, and Cindy was watching him from the palace. Ever since Gary's death, Cindy made sure to stay with her son wherever he went. It was now dark, so Cindy decided to have Licortwist come inside for the night.

"Licortwist, it's time to come home!" Cindy called out.

Licortwist looked at Cindy.

"Coming, mother!" Licortwist called out.

Licortwist ran over and jumped into Cindy's arms. Cindy carried Licortwist into the palace and into the library, and she sat on a chair, setting Licortwist on her lap.

"Licortwist, I'm so happy that you've finally gained full control of the licorice pieces. You will be a strong man when you get older." Cindy said.

Licortwist smiled.

"Do you really think so, mom? You really think that I'll be strong when I'm older?" Licortwist asked.

Cindy nodded.

"I don't think, I know. You'll be as strong as your father was." Cindy replied. She then kissed Licortwist on his forehead and said "Okay, I think it's time for bed now. Come on, Licortwist.".

Licortwist followed Cindy to his bedroom. He quickly changed into pajamas and Cindy tucked him into bed.

"Goodnight, Licortwist." Cindy said.

Cindy kissed Licortwist and closed the door. Licortwist turned over and closed his eyes, but the sound of a sharp cry of pain made him sit up and rush to the door. What he saw almost killed him. His mother, laying on the floor, with blood pooling from her stomach. She had been stabbed. Licortwist rushed to her side and grabbed her hand.

"Mother, please... wake up..." Licortwist pleaded.

Licortwist was on the verge of hyperventilating, but then Cindy suddenly began to stir, and Licortwist gasped in shock and relief when she opened her eyes.

"Mom, who did this to you?" Licortwist asked.

Cindy's eyes were filled with pain.

"Licortwist, whatever happens in the future, whatever decisions you make, I will always stand by your side. No matter what you do, even if it means losing the kingdom, I know you'll make the right decision." Cindy said weakly.

A tear escaped the queen's eye. Tears streamed from Licortwist's eyes.

"No, mama! Don't leave! I love you!" Licortwist pleaded.

Cindy smiled and ran her hand through Licortwist's hair.

"It's okay, Licortwist. It's okay." Cindy said softly.

"NO! I'm so sorry, mom. I failed you." Licortwist said.

"You didn't... fail me." Cindy rasped.

Licortwist closed his eyes in sorrow.

"I can't do it... I can't do it, mom... I'm not ready for this... I'm not ready to lose you..." Licortwist sobbed.

By now, the guards of the palace had heard Cindy cry out in pain, and they arrived at the scene. They gasped in shock upon seeing Licortwist and Cindy, but they realized that there was nothing that they could do about Cindy's wound, and that it would be best to leave Licortwist and Cindy with their final moments together.

"Licortwist..." Cindy started to say.

Before Cindy could finish speaking, she was seized by a sudden coughing fit. Licortwist gently laid her down on the ground, and Cindy's breathing eased. Her eyes opened once more, looking up at Licortwist.

"I love you, Licortwist." Cindy whispered.

"I love you too, mom... please don't go." Licortwist pleaded.

Cindy's eyes gently closed.

"Please, don't leave me." Licortwist pleaded.

Cindy's breathing began to slow.

"Mom... please, mom..." Licortwist pleaded.

At last, Cindy's hand fell limply to her side.

"Mom, no... please... mom, no! NO, NO, NO! NOOOOOOOOO!" Licortwist wailed, clutching her lifeless body in desperation.

The guards exchanged looks of sorrow as Licortwist buried his face in her chest, sobbing.

 _"It's too late, Licortwist. She's gone now. You have nothing left to lose but yourself."_ Licortwist thought to himself.

* * *

 _"Location: Licorice Island, February 12th 1997"_

Licortwist stayed there for hours and would not move. Lemon came looking for him, and when she saw what had happened, she gasped.

 _"Oh no."_ Lemon thought.

Lemon walked over to Licortwist and placed her hand on his shoulder. Licortwist realized that she was there, but he didn't look up at her.

"I'm so sorry, Licortwist." Lemon said.

Licortwist sniffled and looked down at the ground.


	4. Night At The Castle

**Chapter 4: Night At The Castle**

 _"Location: Licorice Island, The World Of Disney, March 13th 1997"_

A month passed since Cindy's death. After she died, Licortwist took over Licorice Island. He tried his best to do good things for the kingdom, but it was hard for him, and whenever he had free time, he locked himself away in his room. He fell into a depression, and the castle servants tried to support him, but their words of comfort did not help him. He missed his parents, and he realized that without Cindy and Gary, his health and mind was slowly declining. He couldn't concentrate on his royal duties, and he kept getting distracted. The servants tried to tell him to take it easy, but Licortwist stubbornly pushed himself to do his duties because he was still determined to help his people. As of a result, the servants began to worry for Licortwist, and they were afraid of losing him too, like they had lost Cindy and Gary.

One night, several maids were working around the palace's kitchen, either cooking or cleaning. Three maids in particular were preparing a single meal, which was for Licortwist. One of the maids, the youngest and newest maid, looked at the other two maids, who were older and more experienced then her.

"So, is it true what they say about... you-know-who?" the maid asked.

"No one knows for sure. They say that he has powers beyond imagination. And every night, he uses them to carve a line, either onto the wall or onto himself to mark another day that he's locked himself away." the middle maid replied.

The younger maid looked nervous.

"Oh, hush now. Your scaring the poor girl." the eldest of the three maids said, whacking the middle one with a licorice spoon.

The young maid was still nervous as they finished the tray. It was a simple meal, a plate with some twizzlers, a small bowl of cherries, a marshmallow roll, and a glass of water. A man in an expensive outfit and neatly combed white hair, clearly the head servant, walked into the kitchen.

"Alright, ladies. It's time to call it for a night and to bring the king his supper." the head servant said with a slight accent.

The two older maids walked out, leaving the young maid alone. Her hands were slightly shaky as she put the cover on the tray.

"Are you alright, dear?" the head servant asked the young maid, concerned. He then said "Don't worry about it. The rumors that you have probably heard aren't true. Just go down to the door in the South Wing, knock twice on the door, enter, leave the tray on the table, and then leave. It's as simple as that.".

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking... why did he lock himself away?" the maid asked.

The head servant's face grew distant and sad.

"He's just never been the same since we lost most of the royal family a few months ago." the head servant replied.

The maid nodded, picked up the tray, and walked out of the room and upstairs. After a few minutes, the maid arrived at in the South Wing and made her way to a door that was on the end of the South Wing. She did her best to balance the tray, and she raised a hand to knock on the door twice. After she did so, she waited a few seconds before opening the door and walking inside. She walked to the center of the room, where a fancy rounded table sat. She put down the tray and then thought about leaving, but then she thought that it wouldn't hurt to explore a little. She walked into a second part of the room, but once she left, Licortwist walked into the first part of the room and lifted the cover of the tray.

* * *

The young maid walked around the second part of the room, looking at the different tables and furniture. There were small decorations on each table, and one had a picture frame. It was a picture of Licortwist, Cindy, and Gary. She put the picture down and turned to look at a target that had several arrows sticking out of it. She walked over and saw that the arrows looked a little strange. They were red and looked to be made of tiny licorice pieces. She reached out to touch one, but then another arrow hit the target one inch from her hand. Scared, she jumped back, letting out a small shriek and turning to see Licortwist, who was wearing a dark red and black colored robe over a set of pajamas of the same color.

"I'm so sorry to disturb you, King Licortwist. I'll leave you to your business." the maid said sheepishly.

The maid turned around and walked out of the room. Once she was gone, Licortwist sighed and walked over to the target. Licortwist had the licorice arrow break apart, and he walked back to where he was standing before. Licortwist had more licorice pieces form, rearranged them into a licorice arrow, and then shot the licorice arrow, which flew through the air and impacted the target.

Licortwist turned around, thinking that what he did was enough for the day. But then a sound that was carried by the wind was heard by his ears. He turned to the window and walked towards it. He looked out the window, searching for what the sound could have been. Just when he thought that it was nothing, a large shell flew up, hitting the wall next to the window that Licortwist was looking through, causing a huge explosion.


	5. Saving The Royal Family Of Sugar Rush

**Chapter 5: Saving The Royal Family Of Sugar Rush**

 _"Location: Unknown, May 15th 1997"_

Licortwist opened his eyes to find himself resting against a tree with a forest surrounding himself. He had another dream of when Licorice Island was seiged and nearly burned to the ground two months earlier. Licortwist was able to escape, thanks to the licorice pieces, but the rest of the kingdom wasn't so lucky. News of the attack had traveled quickly to neighboring places, such as Sugar Rush and Candycane Isle, and everyone assumed that there were no survivors. Ever since that day, Licortwist had been on the run, living like a fugitive because everyone that had heard about the event had claimed that he was dead.

Licortwist looked down at a pond that was next to him and saw his reflection in the water. His black hair was messy and unkempt, and he looked smaller and thinner then he was on the night of the attack. He pushed himself off of the ground, grabbed a bag that was filled with all of his belongings, and then started that day's trek.

* * *

Licortwist walked through the forest, looking around for anything that he thought would be useful. A flash of color in between a couple of trees caught his eye, and Licortwist made his way over to it and pulled it out. It was a lavender colored cape, and from the craftsmanship, it looked like it belonged to someone that was very wealthy. Seeing how it could be useful in the future, Licortwist folded it up and put it inside of his bag. As soon as he did, his stomach growled. It was time for that day's hunt. Licortwist summoned the licorice pieces, got onto them, and then swarmed through the forest.

* * *

After hiking through the forest, Licortwist found the tracks of an animal, and he had the licorice pieces stop and bring him to the ground. They looked like horse tracks, which he found to be weird because no one passed through the forest very often, especially not on a horse. Licortwist followed the horse tracks, and after awhile of following the tracks, he finally found a horse. As he did, something caught his attention. The horse was hooked up to a carriage, which looked like the kind of carriages that royals would sometimes use, and he was unconscious. As Licortwist studied the horse and carriage, a cry for help sounded throughout the forest. Licortwist's head jerked to the direction of the scream, and wasting no time, Licortwist had the licorice pieces bring him in the direction that the scream had come from.

* * *

Licortwist came to a clearing that was surrounded by trees. In the clearing, he saw three people, two of them looking like a couple but the third he couldn't entirely see, surrounded by a group of bandits. Looking up, Licortwist had the licorice pieces raise him into the air, and he disappeared into the branches, making little to no sound. The center man of the bandits, clearly the leader, stepped forward, looking at the people that they had surrounded.

"Look at what we have here, boys. The royal family of Sugar Rush." the leader said, grinning a smile that was filled with yellowed and crooked teeth.

The other bandits grinned and laughed softly. They started to grab the royal family, who put up a bit of resistance, especially a 9 year old black haired girl, but the bandits were able to grab them and keep them in place.

"Princess Vanellope, Queen Maltina, and King Candy." the leader said. His grin only grew more twisted, and he asked "Well, that just makes things extremely interesting, doesn't it?". He then turned to the other bandits and ordered "John, Clark, get some ropes and find a good place to tie the king up, and gag him as well. We're going to have some fun, which I doubt that he's going to want to miss.".

Two of the bandits grabbed rope that was attached to their belts, dragged King Candy to a nearby tree, and tied him to it. The leader then took a step forward.

"Now why don't have a look at what you've got under those dresses?" the leader asked.

The rest of the gang got twisted smiles of their own.

* * *

From his spot in the trees, Licortwist's eyes narrowed. He knew what was coming and he knew exactly who he was dealing with. He had never met him in person, but other rumors and past victims have given him enough to know who the guy was. His name was Gale and he was wanted for theft, murder, escaping prison, and above all... rape. What he was about to do wasn't going to happen, not with Licortwist around. Licortwist looked down to see that one of the bandits was standing slightly under the branch that he was perched on.

* * *

Vanellope was terrified. She and her mother were about to get raped by these bandits. What was worse was that her father was there, but he couldn't do anything but watch. Vanellope silently prayed for someone to come and help them.

As if an answer to her silent prayer, a licorice vine shot out of the tree, grabbed one of the bandits by the neck of his clothing, and pulled him up, slamming his head against the thick branch and knocking him unconscious. The other bandits turned around just in time to see Licortwist drop from the tree cover next to the unconscious bandit.

"Who are you?" Gale asked as looked at Licortwist. He then shook his head and ordered "Doesn't matter. He's seen too much. Kill him.".

Some of the bandits pulled out crossbows and guns that were slung against their backs, while the rest of them pulled out swords or daggers. Licortwist looked at all of them and assumed a fighting stance.

"You obviously have no idea who you're dealing with." Gale said.

"And you have no idea how big of a mistake your making." Licortwist sneered, his voice slightly hoarse.

Gale laughed and gave the command of attack to the rest of his gang. Two bandits that had guns shot bullets in Licortwist's direction, but Licortwist summoned the licorice pieces and created a shield that blocked the bullets, and he smirked upon seeing the stunned faces of the bandits. Most of the bandits charged all at once, but they were no match for Licortwist because he had the licorice pieces. Licortwist had the licorice pieces grab one of the bandits and used him as a makeshift shield in order to block off swords that came at him. One of the swords got stuck into his body and Licortwist threw the now dead bandit at the rest of the bandits.

There were only three bandits that welded swords, and they all attacked at once. However, Licortwist created a licorice shield that blocked the swords. He then formed licorice spikes and shot them forward, and the three bandits fell to the ground.

Licortwist then turned to bandits that had crossbows, and they looked terrified. With a quick swipe of his hand, Licortwist sent three licorice spikes at them, and they fell to the ground.

Licortwist then turned his attention back towards Gale, who took out a crossbow.

"Impressive. It seems that I've underestimated you." Gale said.

Gale then turned back to Vanellope and Maltina, walked to them, and then held a knife in each hand and pressed them against their throats.

"Open your eyes, girls." Gale ordered. They did so, and Gale said "I want you to witness your savior dying.".

Gale then turned around and raised the crossbow. Reacting quickly, Licortwist had the licorice pieces pile under him, and he swarmed towards Gale just as the crossbow fired. Licortwist grabbed Gale with the licorice pieces and threw him to the ground. Licortwist then leaped at him and slammed his fist into the side of his face, breaking his jaw. Licortwist then added another punch to the center of his face to make sure he was unconscious.

Once Gale was unconscious, Licortwist turned back to Vanellope and Maltina. The bandits that were holding them had run away like the cowards they were, and the two of them were able to move again. But before Licortwist could examine them, he felt lightheaded. He looked down and saw the crossbow bolt in the area between his right shoulder and his chest. He grabbed the bolt, and he held his breath and exhaled sharply as he pulled it out. The area around where the bolt had been was starting to grow red, and it was spreading quickly. Licortwist stumbled a bit and then fell to his knees before collapsing on his side. The sounds of the world around him were muffled as his vision began to blur. But the last thing that Licortwist saw before blacking out was Vanellope, who looked down at him with a smile.

"Thank you." Licortwist barely heard her say.


	6. Vanellope And Licortwist

**Chapter 6: Vanellope And Licortwist**

 _"Location: Sugar Rush, May 24th 1997"_

Later, Licortwist woke up with fuzzy vision, a headache, and a pain that felt terrible. He tried moving his right arm, but that only made the pain worse. He looked down and saw that his right shoulder and part of his chest were wrapped in marshmallow bandages.

He looked around at his surroundings. He noticed that he was in a room with white walls and pink designs in intricate patterns, and he was currently resting in what looked like a hospital bed.

"Where am I?" Licortwist asked out loud.

A gumdrop doctor entered the room, having heard his question.

"Your in the Sugar Rush infirmary, and you've been asleep for nine days. But other then that, your recovery has been remarkably quick." the doctor replied.

"I've always been a fast healer." Licortwist said.

The doctor smiled.

"Well, that's good because the royal family would like to personally thank you for saving them, but they wanted you to be awake first." the doctor said.

There was a knock at the door. The doctor walked over and opened the door.

"Your highness." the doctor said with a slight bow as he held the door open.

Vanellope entered the room, her hair in a braided bun and wearing a pink dress. Licortwist recognized her as one of the two females he had saved.

"Thank you. Could you give us a minute alone?" Vanellope asked the doctor.

The doctor nodded and left the two of them alone. Once he was gone, Vanellope turned to Licortwist.

"How are you feeling?" Vanellope asked.

Licortwist used his left arm to help himself sit up.

"Like I got run over by a truck. I'm also a little thirsty." Licortwist replied, his voice raspy.

Vanellope nodded and walked over to a nearby counter, where a chocolate pitcher was resting. She grabbed a cup, poured water into it, and then walked over to the bed.

"Here you go." Vanellope said.

Licortwist thanked her and grabbed the cup. But before he could take a sip, his hand shot to his bandages as he felt a painful healing pulse in his wound. He clutched his shoulder, breathing heavily.

"Are you alright?" Vanellope asked in a worried tone.

Licortwist nodded and put the cup down on a bedside table.

"I'm fine. I just probably need a little more rest." Licortwist replied through clenched teeth.

Vanellope nodded.

"Well then, I'll leave you alone." Vanellope said.

Licortwist nodded, and Vanellope walked out of the room. Once she was gone, Licortwist sighed and fell asleep again.

* * *

Vanellope closed the door behind her.

"Vanellope? What were you doing in there?" a voice asked.

Vanellope jumped and turned around to see Candlehead. The black haired girl regained her composure.

"I'm just checking on the boy that saved me and my parents." Vanellope replied.

"Oh, I heard about what happened. I'm so sorry." Candlehead said.

Vanellope smiled.

"It's okay, Candlehead." Vanellope said.

Candlehead nodded.

"So, is he awake? Did you get his name? You know, I've been dying to thank him all week, ever since me and everyone else found out. I mean, it's all I've been thinking about these past few days." Candlehead replied.

"Whoa, Candlehead, slow down. I can only handle so much at once." Vanellope said with a giggle.

Candlehead stopped talking.

"Okay, first, he was awake for just a few minutes, and as for his name..." Vanellope started to say.

She trailed off when she realized something.

"I forgot to ask him what his name was." Vanellope said.

"Oh. Well, I'm sure he'll tell us when he wakes up." Candlehead said. She walked over to the door, opened it slightly, and said "You know, it's almost scary.".

Vanellope walked up behind her.

"What is?" Vanellope asked.

Candlehead closed the door and turned around.

"How much he looks like a boy version of you." Candlehead replied.

Vanellope raised an eyebrow, having not expected that.

"What?" Vanellope asked.

"Well, I'm not saying that you look like a guy or anything. It's just that you and him look similar." Candlehead replied.

"Excuse me?" a voice asked.

Both girls jumped at the sound of an Oreo guard's voice.

"I'm sorry to startle you, but Sour Bill has asked for each member of the royal family to meet him in the throne room." the Oreo guard announced.

Vanellope was confused by why Sour Bill requested that, but she agreed to head to the throne room. She told Candlehead goodbye and then left for the throne room.


	7. The Throne Room Meeting

**Chapter 7: The Throne Room Meeting**

In the throne room, Sour Bill was standing by a table where several objects that Licortwist owned were spread out. King Candy and Maltina were already in the throne room, also having been told that the kingdom's majordomo needed to speak with them. Eventually, Vanellope entered the throne room and walked over to them.

"Ah, Princess Vanellope. I'm so glad you could join us." Sour Bill said.

Maltina looked at Sour Bill.

"Not that I don't enjoy these meetings, Sour Bill, but is there a reason for calling this meeting?" Maltina asked.

Sour Bill nodded.

"Well, you know our mysterious guest that you three brought here last week?" Sour Bill asked.

Vanellope, Maltina, and King Candy nodded.

"Well, as a precaution, I had some of the guards go through the bag he had. What we found was rather interesting." Sour Bill explained.

Sour Bill lead the royal family over to the table. Some of the items were simple, a leather-bound journal, a canteen, and other necessities for living on the road. Some of the other stuff was rather... questionable. Sour Bill reached for a red flask that rested next to Licortwist's canteen. In the center of the flask was a glass circle, where light blue liquid could be seen.

"The liquid inside this flask is a tonic known as Raseri, which is what some people would use in order to decrease levels of rage. Guards would often use it on rampaging criminals during prison riots. We also found these." Sour Bill explained.

Sour Bill directed his hand towards a stack of papers.

"What do each of these sheets have in common?" Sour Bill asked, sorting through them.

Each of them had a similar format, which was a large picture of a face with some writing underneath it.

"They're all wanted posters?" Vanellope asked.

"Exactly. Each one is a picture that's crossed out in dark red." Sour Bill replied.

Sure enough, just like Sour Bill said, each picture had a dark red 'X' over the criminal's face.

"I read the description on each criminal. All of them had a defining feature, a piece of jewelry, or some other accessory that they would wear." Sour Bill explained. He picked up a bag and said "Every single one of them are in this bag.". He shook it, the contents jingling, and he started to say "Your highnesses, I don't know who he is, but if he were to pose any threat to Sugar Rush...".

"Sour Bill, what are you trying to say?" Maltina asked.

"I'm saying that if we're going to keep him here, we need to make sure that he's on our side." Sour Bill replied.

* * *

Licortwist woke up with the pain gone and an unbearable itch in his shoulder. He moved his bandaged arm a little bit and studied it. There was no pain, and he had healed. He reached for the bandages and took them off, and then he sat up and looked around the rest of the room for his stuff. However, he didn't find it anywhere. He got out of bed, determined to find it before someone looked at it.

* * *

It was stormy outside, so the hallways were dark, which was something that he could use to his advantage. He didn't know where his stuff was, so he decided to just search the halls for it. He was about to go in one direction when the sound of approaching footsteps were heard. He wasn't supposed to be out of his room in the infirmiry, and it wasn't dark enough for him to hide. He had to think of something and quick.

* * *

An Oreo guard turned a corner and walked down the hall. When he got to the middle of the hallway, he stopped. There was a few seconds before he sneezed slightly. He shook it off, continued down the hall, and turned a corner.

* * *

Little did he know that Licortwist was right above where he had been standing. The licorice pieces were attached to the ceiling to keep himself from falling. He breathed a sigh of relief, thankful for the fact that people seldom looked up. He had the licorice pieces bring him back down to the floor, making little sound.

 _"Back to the mission at hand."_ Licortwist thought.

* * *

Maltina looked at Sour Bill.

"Your suggesting that he's an enemy, Sour Bill?" Maltina asked.

"I'm suggesting that we need to keep an eye on him. There's no telling what he might do, given the opportunity." Sour Bill replied.

King Candy looked at the table and picked up a pink cape.

"Hey, honey, isn't this one of your cloaks?" King Candy asked.

Maltina looked over at him and took the cloth from her husband.

"Yes, it is. I'm surprised that someone was able to find it." Maltina replied.

"When you have nothing, you grab what you can whenever you can." a voice said.

Everyone turned to see Licortwist leaning against the wall next to the door.

"How did you get in here?" King Candy asked.

Licortwist walked forward.

"That was rather easy. You really need to consider putting up more security in these halls." Licortwist replied.

Vanellope raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?" Vanellope asked.

Licortwist stopped walking, and he looked at his right arm and flexed it a few times.

"I'm not in extreme pain after doing that, so no." Licortwist replied.

He walked closer to the table.

"So, I see you went through my stuff." Licortwist said.

"It was a precaution." Sour Bill said.

Licortwist shook his head and loaded his stuff into the bag.

"Okay then. Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way." Licortwist said.

He slung his pack across his shoulder and made his way towards the throne room doors.

"Wait!" Vanellope called out.

Licortwist stopped walking and looked back at her.

"Do you have to go? I mean, can you at least stay for dinner?" Vanellope asked.

Licortwist's stomach growled softly at the mention of food.

"I guess one meal wouldn't hurt." Licortwist replied.


	8. King Candy And Maltina's Discovery

**Chapter 8: King Candy And Maltina's Discovery**

Eating with the royal family was kind of difficult, considering Licortwist was using everything to stop himself from eating the food in front of him like a starving animal. He was currently in the castle dining room with Vanellope. King Candy and Maltina were going to join them, but King Candy said he had something to do and needed Maltina to help him before the two of them could join the two kids.

"What's wrong, Licortwist? Do you not like the food?" Vanellope asked in concern.

"No, it's not that." Licortwist replied, his eyes on his food, trying not to drool.

Vanellope giggled.

"If your worried about manners, then you don't need to." Vanellope said.

Licortwist looked at the black haired princess before back down at his plate of treats. He grabbed them and started eating them by bringing them to his mouth and scarfing them down. Now Vanellope could see why the black haired boy was so hesitant. He had the manners of a starving wolf or even a bear. Within seconds, the pile of candy was just about gone.

"Whoa, your eating like this is your first meal in days." Vanellope said in shock.

Licortwist grabbed a napkin, and he cleaned off his hands and the area around his mouth.

"Not far off, actually. I haven't had a decent meal for a month, maybe even more." Licortwist said.

"Seriously?" Vanellope asked.

Licortwist nodded.

"Yes, but don't worry about me. I eat small rations and sell whatever I can find to buy a chance at a meal. I only need a somewhat safe environment." Licortwist replied.

"Somewhat safe?" Vanellope asked.

Licortwist chuckled.

"With the life I've lived, I've learned that the world is never completely safe." Licortwist replied.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. It was Sour Bill.

"Excuse me for interrupting you, your highness, but your parents would like to talk to you." Sour Bill announced.

Vanellope looked puzzled, but she agreed to go. She stood up and looked back at Licortwist.

"I'll be back soon." Vanellope said.

And with that said, she left the room with Sour Bill. They eventually reached the throne room, where King Candy and Maltina were.

"Hello, Vanellope. I apologize for calling you so suddenly, but there are a few things that we would like to know about Licortwist." King Candy said. He fixed his bow and added "And also, we found out where he came from.".

Vanellope's eyes widened.

"Really? Where did he come from?" Vanellope asked.

Maltina turned to Sour Bill.

"Sour Bill, can you leave us alone for a few minutes, please?" Maltina asked.

Sour Bill nodded.

"Yes, your majesty." Sour Bill replied.

Sour Bill walked out of the throne room, closing the door as he did. Once he was gone, King Candy and Maltina turned back to Vanellope.

"Now as we were saying, Licortwist possesses a strange power that is not found around Sugar Rush." King Candy explained.

"Still, your friend seems to control... tiny red licorice pieces, if I'm correct. His ability made your father and I understand that he is clearly not from here." Maltina explained.

King Candy reached into his pocket and gave Vanellope a map. The 9 year old girl looked at it and noticed that it had a drawing of Licorice Island.

"What is this place?" Vanellope asked, confused.

"That is Licorice Island, a land consisting of licorice-themed objects. None of us have ever heard of it, and it's pretty obvious that no one else has heard of it before." King Candy replied.

King Candy fixed his bow again and started to walk out of the throne room.

"Dad?" Vanellope asked.

The king turned and looked at his wife and daughter.

"Girls, it's time to talk to Licortwist, but for real this time." King Candy replied.

He looked serious at the two females. Vanellope looked at her parents worriedly, but she decided to follow them out. But as she did, she had a feeling that things wouldn't end good.

* * *

Later, Licortwist was finishing telling his story to Vanellope, Maltina, and King Candy. After leaving the throne room, they had asked Licortwist if they could tell him his life story, which he had reluctantly agreed to do.

"And then, my kingdom was attacked and I was forced to flee. I spent the next two months living like a fugitive, and I eventually came upon you three getting attacked. And... that's pretty much the end of the story." Licortwist explained.

Maltina was looking too shocked to speak, covering her mouth with her hands while looking from Licortwist to her husband. King Candy was looking down, a hand in his forehead with a frown. And Vanellope was hiding her face in Licortwist's shoulder, sniffing quietly.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Vanellope asked, not looking at Licortwist.

"I didn't want to be a bother." Licortwist replied. He then sighed and said "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner.".

Vanellope stood up straight and rubbed her left eye. King Candy sighed and put a hand on Licortwist's shoulder.

"It's okay, Licortwist. I can understand that you were stressed." King Candy said.

He stood up and faced everyone.

"Well, anyway, for now, what we talked about stays between us. I won't tell anyone about you and your life, Licortwist. I'll see if I can find out more about what happened to Licorice Island. But until then, I think that you should stay with us." King Candy said.

Licortwist frowned.

"Are you guys okay with that?" Licortwist asked.

Maltina smiled.

"Of course we are. You can stay with us for as long as you want." Maltina replied.

Licortwist smiled.

"Thank you." Licortwist said.


	9. Shopping In Sugar Rush

**Chapter 9: Shopping In Sugar Rush**

 _"Location: Sugar Rush, May 25th 1997"_

The next morning, Licortwist, Vanellope, Maltina, and King Candy were having breakfast in the castle dining room. It was a beautiful sunny day, with only a few cotton candy clouds visible in the sky outside. They were going to go clothes shopping for Licortwist, since he only had one pair of clothing with him. At first, he had protested by saying that he was fine with only one pair of clothing, but Vanellope, Maltina, and King Candy had insisted that they get him clothing, and he finally agreed to go with them.

When they were done eating, the four of them headed to the castle garage, where Vanellope, Maltina, and King Candy kept their karts. King Candy led everyone to a kart that was similar to his, except it was a double kart that was long enough to hold everyone. Maltina smiled at Licortwist and Vanellope.

"Are you two ready to go?" Maltina asked.

Licortwist and Vanellope nodded, and the two of them hopped into the kart. King Candy and Maltina got in after them, and King Candy, who was driving, started the engine. They drove out of the castle garage and started making their way to Sugar Town. After five minutes, they reached the town. Once there, Licortwist looked around and was impressed by the many types of candy citizens that were living there.

"Those are the fans." Maltina explained when she noticed Licortwist looking at everyone.

"Fans?" Licortwist asked in confusion.

He turned and looked at the queen, who smiled.

"Friends of ours are racers, and the candy people here are their fans." Maltina replied. She pointed to a pair of popcorn candy citizens and explained "You see those? Those guys are my, my husband, and my daughter's fans.".

"Do you race, your majesty?" Licortwist asked.

Maltina smiled.

"Please, it's just Maltina. And no, I don't race, but I own a kart, along with my daughter and my husband." Maltina replied.

Vanellope smiled and looked at her mom.

"Hey, mom? Do you think Licortwist can have a kart and race with me? That would be awesome!" Vanellope asled.

Maltina smiled back.

"One thing at a time, sweetheart. He needs to get used to everything here. But I don't see why not. Having his own kart might make him some new friends." Maltina replied.

Vanellope smirked.

"As long as he doesn't make friends with Taffyta or Rancis." Vanellope said.

"Who?" Licortwist asked in confusion.

Vanellope turned to Licortwist.

"Some of my friends. You see, one of the racers, Taffyta Muttonfudge, is the daughter of Lady Malva Strawberry and Lord Domini Muttonfudge. She's one of the best racers, and she's as prissy and show-off as her mom. And another racer, Rancis Fluggerbutter, the son of Chocolatte Cocoabutter and Reese Fluggerbutter, is always fixing his hair and clothes." Vanellope replied.

Licortwist frowned.

"Neither of them sound nice." Licortwist said.

Vanellope shrugged.

"They aren't." Vanellope replied.

Maltina sighed.

"Still, you shouldn't talk about them like that behind their backs. Lady Strawberry is definitely annoying, but Domini, Chocolatte, and Reese are nice people." Maltina scolded.

Vanellope looked down.

"Sorry." Vanellope said.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, as long as they don't know, it doesn't hurt them or matter." King Candy said.

Maltina looked up and noticed that they had arrived at the clothing store.

"Oh, we're here!" Maltina announced.

King Candy parked the kart. He, Maltina, Vanellope, and Licortwist got out of the kart, and Licortwist looked at the building's appearance. It was a two story clothing building that had orange walls and Reese decorations.

"This is Reese's store. He's rather quiet and well-mannered, but I'm pretty sure that you'll like him." King Candy explained.

The four of them went inside. After heading into the building, Licortwist noticed that there was a faint scent of peanut butter in the air. He looked around and saw the different clothing. Most of the items were for girls, but there were also a lot of things for boys. King Candy and Maltina led Licortwist and Vanellope to a long white desk at the right side of the store, where a man was typing on a computer. He had light blonde hair and fair skin, and he was wearing a Reese top hat. The man looked up and smiled.

"Your majesties! Sorry I didn't know that you were coming in!" the man said in an apologetic tone.

The man stood up and walked out from behind the desk. Once he did, Licortwist realized just how small he actually was. He was around his and Vanellope's heights. The man was wearing a big yellow bow tie, a long sleeved orange shirt, puffy brown pants with suspenders, and brown shoes. The man got closer to them, ready to assist his rulers, when he spotted Licortwist behind Maltina. He smiled warmly.

"I didn't know you guys had another kid." the man said in surprise.

King Candy laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"No, he isn't our son. But we'll be looking after him for a while." King Candy explained.

The man put a hand to his chin, looking curious.

"Why is that?" the man asked.

"He... doesn't have anyone looking out for him, so he's staying with us for the time being." Maltina replied.

The man turned to Licortwist.

"Oh, my. Poor kid! I'm so sorry." the man said. He then introduced "Oh, excuse my manners! My name's is Reese Fluggerbutter. I run this shop".

Licortwist smiled.

"It's okay. Thanks for telling me that. My name's Licortwist Hothead. Nice to meet you, Mr. Fluggerbutter." Licortwist said.

Reese chuckled.

"You seem like a nice boy." Reese said.

Vanellope nodded.

"We're searching for clothes for him." Vanellope explained.

Reese nodded and looked back at Licortwist.

"I guess you like the colors red and black, right?" Reese asked.

Licortwist nodded. Reese pointed to a door.

"Well then, just go through that door and you'll find a room of various clothing. Why don't you try and search for something in there? I can help you if you want." Reese offered.

Licortwist thought about it before nodding.

"Okay, if you don't mind." Licortwist replied.

Reese smiled.

"I don't mind at all. I have a few things that might look good on you." Reese said.

The two of them entered the room, leaving Vanellope, Maltina, and King Candy behind. Eventually, after looking in the room, Licortwist found clothes that he wanted to wear. He found a long red robe, a red shirt, black pants, and black shoes. After getting what he wanted and trying out the new clothing, Licortwist quickly changed back into his usual clothes, grabbed the clothes that he wanted to buy, and folded them before following Reese back to the main room, where Vanellope, Maltina, and King Candy were seated.

"So, are those all the things that you got to yourself?" King Candy asked.

Licortwist nodded.

"With Mr. Fluggerbutter's help, of course." Licortwist replied.

Reese rubbed the back of his neck, smiling a bit

"Well, let's get everything in a bag." Reese said.

Everyone walked back to the large desk and Reese registered everything, quickly getting the total amount, which was fifty coins. Maltina and King Candy paid everything, and they, Licortwist, and Vanellope said goodbye to Reese and left the store. Once they got out, the four of them hopped into the kart and drove away. After ten minutes, they reached the castle.

* * *

Later on, it was nighttime, and everyone was getting ready for bed. Licortwist was staying in Vanellope's room for now, and he was sleeping on a luxury sofa near Vanellope's bed, while the black haired girl had her bed. Licortwist climbed onto the sofa, which had been pulled out into a sofa bed, and Vanellope switched off the lights.

"Goodnight, Licortwist." Vanellope said as she climbed onto her bed.

"Goodnight, Vanellope." Licortwist said.

Licortwist laid down, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep. Vanellope watched him for a short time before she smiled, rolled over, and yawned, closing her eyes and relaxing. However, she was almost about to drift off when she felt someone begin to gently shake her arm.

"Huh?" Vanellope asked wearily.

She rubbed her eyes, turned over, and sat up, becoming fully awake quickly.

"Licortwist? What's wrong?" Vanellope asked.

Licortwist looked at the floor, appearing uncomfortable. Vanellope moved to the side and let Licortwist climb up onto her bed. The black haired boy said nothing as he did so.

"Licortwist? What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Vanellope asked, starting to feel worried.

Licortwist sniffed quietly and shook his head.

"It... wasn't really a nightmare." Licortwist replied in a whisper.

Vanellope raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Vanellope asked.

Licortwist sniffed again and began to shiver.

"My parents." Licortwist replied quietly.

Vanellope blinked.

"Your parents?" Vanellope asked. She got closer to Licortwist and asked "Was that what your dream was about?".

Licortwist hiccuped as tears began to roll down his cheeks. He nodded, not looking at Vanellope. He then felt Vanellope's hand on his back, rubbing in slow circles and trying to comfort him. He couldn't hold it in anymore and began to cry. Vanellope acted quickly. She wrapped her arms around Licortwist's waist and held him tight in a hug. Licortwist hid his face in Vanellope's chest, sobbing and hiccuping. The black haired girl sighed and rubbed the back of Licortwist's head.

"There, there. Easy there, Licortwist. It's alright." Vanellope said softly.

Eventually, Licortwist let go of Vanellope. He wasn't crying anymore, but he sniffled occasionally. Vanellope smiled and placed her hand under Licortwist's chin.

"Licortwist, everything is in the past now. Your not alone, okay?" Vanellope asked.

Licortwist nodded softly and yawned.

"Vanellope... c-can I sleep here? Just for tonight?" Licortwist asked quietly.

Vanellope smiled and hugged him.

"Of course you can sleep here tonight." Vanellope replied.

Vanellope laid down and made herself comfortable. Licortwist laid down after her and rested his head on her chest, and he was feeling so tired after crying that he fell asleep quickly. Vanellope watched him for a while, and she eventually sighed and hugged Licortwist lightly, so she wouldn't disturb his sleep.

"Goodnight, Licortwist. Sleep well." Vanellope whispered.


	10. Meeting The Sugar Rush Families

**Chapter 10: Meeting The Sugar Rush Families**

 _"Location: Sugar Rush, May 26th 1997"_

The next morning, King Candy and Maltina were seated at the dining room table. They were waiting for Vanellope and Licortwist to join them, but they weren't showing up for some reason. After a while, King Candy stood up and looked at the time.

"I think I should get the kids." King Candy said.

Maltina nodded. King Candy left the dining room, went upstairs, and walked to Vanellope's room. He knocked on the door a few times.

"Kids? Breakfast is almost done." King Candy said.

However, he got no answer.

"Kids?" King Candy asked.

Like before, there was silence. He opened the door slowly and peeked his head inside. He blinked and then closed the door with a smile.

"Honey, get the camera!" King Candy called from the stairs.

"Why?" Maltina asked, confused.

King Candy chuckled.

"Just do it and come here. It's worth it." King Candy replied.

Maltina got the camera and walked upstairs, getting on her husband's side.

"What is it?" Maltina asked.

King Candy opened Vanellope's door and pointed at their daughter's bed. Maltina looked at the sight in front of her with a warm smile. Licortwist was sleeping in Vanellope's bed, his head on the girl's chest while looking happy and relaxed. Vanellope, on the other hand, was hugging Licortwist with her chin over the boy's head, snoring lowly. The two adults squeaked quietly at the cute image and Maltina took a few photos.

The flash was enough to wake Licortwist and Vanellope. The both of them slowly opened their eyes, their barely awake forms looking at the adults in front of them.

"Hi, guys." Licortwist and Vanellope both greeted in unison.

The two of them woke up fully, looked at each other, and noticed that they were cuddling. Both of their eyes grew wide, and they screamed and separated.

"Licortwist, what are you doing? Why were you cuddling me?" Vanellope asked angrily.

"Why were you cuddling me?" Licortwist asked angrily.

Both of them looked at King Candy and Maltina in front of them, trying to tell them 'this isn't what it looks like!' and 'It's not what you think.'. The two adults didn't believe them, but they decided to play along just to make them comfortable again.

"It's okay. We didn't see anything." Maltina said.

Licortwist and Vanellope both knew that the king and queen were pretending, but the sooner they got out of the situation, the better.

King Candy smirked.

"Well, we'll leave you two alone. When your ready, come and join us. We're going to have breakfast, and then we're going to the racetrack." King Candy said.

"Really?" Licortwist asked.

King Candy nodded.

"Yes. And while we're there, you can meet the other racers." King Candy replied.

King Candy and Maltina walked out of the room, leaving Licortwist and Vanellope alone. Once they were gone, the two kids got up from the bed and went into the bathroom to brush their teeth. After they were done cleaning themselves, both kids raced downstairs to the kitchen. Vanellope was the one who entered the kitchen first.

"Good morning!" Vanellope greeted.

Licortwist waved at them, smiling. King Candy and Maltina were seated, and the castle servants were serving everyone their portions. The two adults smiled at the two children.

"Hey, sleepy heads. I thought that we were going to start eating without you." Maltina said sarcastically.

"Sorry." Licortwist said as he took his seat next to the queen.

King Candy looked at Licortwist.

"Did you have trouble sleeping? I heard that you slept with Vanellope last night. Was there something wrong with the couch?" King Candy asked.

Licortwist shook his head.

"No, the bed was great! I just... had a little nightmare." Licortwist replied.

King Candy nodded and smiled. Vanellope sat next to her father and they all began to eat. Eventually, they finished their breakfast, and Vanellope and Licortwist went upstairs and began to prepare themselves for the day. Vanellope took a shower while Licortwist made the bed and couch. Once he was done, he took out his new clothes that he had gotten from Reese's store from an empty closet. He eventually heard the shower going off, and after a while, Vanellope left the bathroom, fully dressed. The boy went inside the bathroom and took a shower, and when he was done, he got dressed into his new clothing and left the bathroom.

Once they were ready, Licortwist and Vanellope made their way to the garage, where King Candy and Maltina were already waiting in the kart. The two kids got into the kart, and King Candy drove the kart out of the garage. They drove through the candy cane forest before reaching a straight trail. They drove down the trail for six minutes before reaching the racetrack. King Candy parked the kart behind the popcorn stand, which he, Maltina, and Vanellope had told Licortwist earlier was for them. They got out of the kart and walked out onto the racetrack. Licortwist saw the candy citizens there, and the royal family's fans began to cheer and shout as they saw their rulers appear. While Vanellope, Maltina, and King Candy waved at their fans, Licortwist took the time to look around. He saw a huge screen that he guessed was to watch the race from the stands, which were colorful candy boxes with different kinds of candy fans. Eventually, Vanellope, Maltina, and King Candy stopped waving to their fans, and King Candy and Maltina turned to Vanellope and Licortwist.

"Vanellope, why don't you go introduce Licortwist to the other racers?" Maltina asked.

Vanellope smiled.

"Sure, mom." Vanellope replied. She turned to Licortwist and said "Come on, Licortwist.".

Licortwist nodded and left with Vanellope. Both of them approached the stands, where the Sugar Rush racers were standing in front of the popcorn stand. Licortwist noticed that all of the Sugar Rush racers were kids, and there were adults too. Most of the racers were girls, but there were some boys. One of the parents, a red haired woman with a theme that seemed to be cherries, turned around and spotted Vanellope. She waved at the younger girl.

"Well, look who showed up! I haven't see you around for a while." the woman said.

"Hello, Mrs. Bing-Bing." Vanellope greeted.

The Sguar Rush racers and the other adults turned, and they also waved at Vanellope. But as they did, they noticed Licortwist standing behind Vanellope.

"Oh! Hello, Licortwist! I'm happy to see you. Are things going good?" Reese asked as he recognized the black haired boy.

Licortwist smiled and nodded.

"Things are going great, Mr. Fluggerbutter." Licortwist replied.

"Is this the boy that you were talking about, dad?" a voice asked.

A kid with blond short hair and blue eyes walked over and stood next to Reese. He eyed Licortwist curiously as a girl with pale skin, brown hair, and blue eyes, and wearing brown clothing walked over, accompanied by a woman with pale skin, long brown hair, and blue eyes, and also wearing brown clothing.

"I'm pretty sure me and my brother never saw you around. What's your name?" the girl asked.

The other Sugar Rush racers got closer and Licortwist took a few steps back, wondering if he would need to use the licorice pieces for defense.

"My name's Licortwist Hothead." Licortwist replied.

The red haired woman smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, Licortwist. Now that we know who you are, I think that we should address our children and ourselves to you." the woman said.

A blonde haired woman wearing a big pink dress stepped in front of the woman quite rudely. A second later, a blonde haired man stepped out of the crowd.

"If that's the case, I get to talk first." the blonde haired woman said.

She eyed Licortwist while the red haired woman glared at her.

"Well, little boy, my name is Lady Malva Strawberry." the woman introduced. She smiled smugly, gestured to the man and a girl next to her, and introduced "And this is my husband, Lord Domini Muttonfudge, and my daughter, Taffyta Muttonfudge, one of the top racers.".

Domini had pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes, and he wore a white shirt, pink pants, and black boots. He smiled and waved at Licortwist.

"Hello, little guy." Domini greeted politely.

Taffyta was wearing a sparkly pink dress, and she had fair skin, platinum blonde hair, blue eyes, and a serious look. She took a lollipop out of her mouth and waved at him with it.

"Hey, newbie." Taffyta greeted with a smirk.

The red haired woman cleared her throat, and a man with pale skin, blue hair, and blue eyes, and wearing blue clothing walked over and stood next to her.

"My name's Cheri Bing-Bing, and this is my husband, Almond." the red haired woman introduced. She smiled warmly at Licortwist and said "And these are our girls.".

Two twin girls walked out from behind Cheri and Almond.

"I'm Citruesella Flugpucker." the younger twin, a purple colored girl, said calmly.

Her older sister, a red colored girl, however, looked way more energetic.

"I'm Jubileena Bing-Bing, but you can call me Jubi!" the older twin introduced.

A small green colored woman giggled next to Cheri, standing next to a taller green colored man.

"Hello, dearie. My name is Mentha, and this is my husband, Yuki." the woman introduced.

Licortwist smiled and then noticed three girls that each wore a huge ribbon on their heads. He blinked when he noticed that they were triplets. Mentha gestured the three girls.

"These are my and Yuki's daughters. The yellow one is Torvald Batterbutter, the turquoise one is Sticky Wipplesnit, and the green one is Minty Zaki." Mentha introduced.

Minty, Sticky, and Torvald waved at him. Licortwist suddenly heard a cough and turned around to see a tan skinned man stepping ahead, along with a tan skinned woman.

"I'm Biscuit DiCaramello, and this is my wife, Zabaione." the man introduced. He fixed his bow tie, pointed to a tan skinned girl between him and Zabaione, and introduced "And this is our girl, Crumbelina DiCaramello.".

Crumbelina smiled.

"Hello." Crumbelina greeted in a shy tone.

Licortwist waved at her. Licortwist looked at Reese, who laughed nervously.

"Oh, well, you know me already." Reese said. He looked at his son, the girl, and the woman and said "But you don't know my son, daughter, or wife. My son's name is Rancis Fluggerbutter, my daughter's name is Creamy Buttercap, and my wife's name is Chocolatte Cocoabutter.".

Rancis fixed his hair and held his hand in front of him. Licortwist blinked and carefully took it. The two boys shook hands and Rancis smiled smugly.

"Even if your style isn't 'shiny', I think your a good guy." Rancis said.

Licortwist looked puzzled by what he meant. A woman wearing a green dress roared with laughter.

"Shiny! HA HA! Your son is such a sight, Reese!" the woman said.

Reese rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously. The woman smiled and faced Licortwist.

"Well! My name is Candella!" the woman introduced.

A green haired man walked over, holding Candlehead in his arms.

"And this here is my husband, Candello, and my little sweet cupcake, Candlehead!" Candella introduced.

Candlehead waved at Licortwist, who waved back. He turned and saw a couple standing by him, along with a tan skinned boy with dark green hair. The woman was wearing a blue dress, and she had tan skin, purple-brown hair tied in a ponytail with a big lollipop clip in the front, and green eyes. She was rather fat, but looked really nice. The man was thin and tall, his skin was a tan color, his eyes were light blue, and his hair was green, and he wore a blue jacket, a dark yellow shirt, striped blue pants, striped yellow leggings, and dark green boots.

"Hello. My name is Meiji Malarkey, and this is my wife, Chupa, and my son, Swizzle." the man introduced.

Licortwist smiled.

"Nice to meet you." Licortwist said.

He turned to another couple that also had a boy with them. The boy had pale skin, dark brown hair, and brown eyes, and he wore a pumpkin hat and orange clothing. The man had pale skin, dark brown hair, and blue eyes, and he also wore orange clothing. And the woman had pale skin, black hair, and brown eyes, and she wore black clothing.

"Hello, kid. My name is Kobacha, my husband's name is Blanc, and my son's name is Gloyd." the woman introduced.

Gloyd smiled at Licortwist and waved at him. Licortwist nodded and turned to the last two families remaining. A dark skinned woman that looked like a 60's dancer walked forward. She was wearing purple clothes, and her hair was hidden in a small afro that was made of sherbet.

"Yo, little baby! The name's Sundae Rainbeau, and my husband's name is Berry Rainbeau. And this here is our girl, Snowanna Rainbeau." the woman introduced.

Berry had dark skin, black and dark-purple hair, and purple eyes, and he wore dark purple clothing. And Snowanna looked just like Sundae, except her sherbert afro was more colorful and bigger then her mom's.

Snowanna winked at him.

"Hey, new guy! Nice to meet you!" Snowanna greeted.

"Nice to meet you too!" Licortwist said.

He looked at the last couple. The man had pinkish-white skin, red hair, and blue eyes, and he wore red and white snow clothing, while the woman had pale skin, blue hair, and cold blue eyes. Licortwist cringed a bit when the woman huffed and looked away, crossing her arms over her chest. However, the man and the girls (who were also twins) next to the woman smiled sweetly at him.

"Please forgive my wife. She tends to be cold sometimes." the man said in an apologetic tone.

The woman sighed and looked at him.

"My name's Bomba Winterpop, and this is my husband, Icy." the woman introduced. She lifted her index finger, looked sternly at Licortwist, and said "But you must address me as Ma'am, young boy.".

"Y-Yes, Ma'am." Licortwist said, not liking her already.

Sundae got next to her friend, put her hands on her hips, and leaned slightly.

"Bomba, give the poor sugar a break. We just meet him." Sundae said.

Bomba rolled her eyes.

"Fine." Bomba said. She sighed, looked at Licortwist, and said "Well, I told you who I am. This girls here are, of course, my and Icy's little daughters.".

Icy gently put his hands on their shoulders.

"Girls, introduce yourselves." Icy said.

The blue one nodded and looked at Licortwist.

"My name is Adorabeezle Winterpop." the girl introduced.

The pink one waved at him.

"My name's Nougetsia Brumblestain. It's a pleasure." the girl introduced.

Licortwist smiled at them, glad to know that they and Icy were sweet and calm compared to Bomba. Blanc looked around for any adult that seemed to be caring for Licortwist.

"So, who are your parents, Licortwist?" Blanc asked.

A few of the adults looked curious as well. Licortwist rubbed his arm and looked away.

"I... I'm living with Vanellope for now." Licortwist replied.

His gaze returned to the Halloween themed man, who was rubbing the back of his head, clearly getting the message.

"I'm so sorry, my boy. I shouldn't have asked." Blanc said.

The other adults were looking worried as well, but the kids, on the other hand, were clueless. Only Vanellope, Rancis, and Creamy knew about Licortwist's case (Rancis and Creamy knew because Reese had told them). The rest of the kids didn't know a thing.

Licortwist smiled.

"Don't worry about it. There was no way that you could have known." Licortwist said.

Blanc blinked at the boy. He then smiled and ruffled his hair.

"I like you, kid. You seem like a good person." Blanc said.

Suddenly, the sound of a microphone being tested called everyone's attention. The Sugar Rush racers and their parents looked up to see King Candy waving at them. Vanellope grabbed Licortwist's hand, and she led him up to the popcorn stand.

"Stay here with my mom, Licortwist. I have to go with my dad." Vanellope ordered.

Licortwist nodded, and he watched as Vanellope climbed down the popcorn stand and joined King Candy, the Sugar Rush racers, and their parents by the karts. He frowned and walked over to Maltina, who was sitting in the popcorn stand's chair.

"So, what's going on?" Licortwist asked in confusion.

Maltina looked at him.

"The kids are going to race, and we, the king, and the parents are just going to watch." Maltina replied.

Licortwist nodded in understanding.


	11. Friendly Race

**Chapter 11: Friendly Race**

King Candy began with his speech about wishing luck to the Sugar Rush racers and such, bouncing around his stand, and throwing candy to the fans. Sour Bill was also there, having showed up just after Maltina was finished talking to Licortwist.

"Now, you all know the rules! Everyone, make a line and throw your golden coins in the pot!" King Candy instructed.

He lifted a golden coin and showed it in front of everyone. The Sugar Rush racers did as he said, each of them getting a spot in the race. Once they were done, all of them got into their karts, which they started up.

 _"READY!"_ the announcer said.

"You can do it, Candlehead!" Candella cheered from her stand.

"Leave them in the dust, Taffyta!" Malva yelled.

 _"SET!"_ the announcer said.

"Good luck, Crumbelina!" Zabaione called out excitedly.

"Do your best, kids!" Chocolatte cheered from her and Reese's spot, waving at Rancis and Creamy.

 _"GO!"_ the announcer shouted.

The karts took off and disappeared in the distance. Licortwist's eyes quickly fixed themselves on the large screen, which showed everything with clear detail. Vanellope was first and Taffyta was catching up with her. Behind them were Candlehead, Swizzle, Gloyd, Citrusella, Creamy, and so on.

Eventually, they reached Gumdrop Gorge. Licortwist watched how the Sugar Rush racers avoided the huge gumballs, but a few unlucky ones got hit by them, leaving their parents and candy citizens groaning and looking disappointed.

 _"CHERRY BOMB!"_ the announcer said.

Everyone suddenly saw Candlehead lighting up cherry bombs with the candles of her kart. Swizzle, who was nearby as the cherry bombs began to explode, made a movement at the last minute and used an item that he was storing.

 _"SUGAR RUSH!"_ the announcer said.

Swizzle's kart began to release sugar sprinkles and the speed rose considerably. He avoided the detonating cherry bombs and drove past Candlehead.

"Sometimes he comes with good tricks." Maltina explained.

Licortwist nodded and continued looking at the screen. After a few more minutes of traveling throughout the racetrack, the Sugar Rush racers had reached the Nougat cave of the Ice Cream Mountains. The candy citizens were going crazy around the parents.

 _"PRINCESS VANELLOPE IS STILL IS FIRST PLACE! AND THEY ARE GETTING CLOSER TO THE FINISH LINE!"_ the announcer said.

Four of the karts were approaching the finish line. Vanellope was still in 1st place and Taffyta was still in 2nd place. Swizzle was in 3rd place, with Snowanna, Adorabeezle, and Minty close behind.

 _"SWEET SEEKER!"_ the announcer said.

Everyone looked up and gasped. Rancis was approaching them with a seekers canyon. He fired the three seekers, which quickly reached Snowanna, Adorabeezle, and Minty and exploded, sending them flying behind.

"Snowanna!" Sundae shouted worriedly.

Mentha groaned and facepalmed while Yuki looked kind of disappointed, but also worried. Icy was clearly upset and nervous.

The racers finally reached the finish line.

 _"FIRST PLACE: PRINCESS VANELLOPE VON SCHWEETZ!"_ the announcer said.

The candy citizens cheered.

 _"SECOND PLACE: TAFFYTA MUTTONFUDGE!"_ the announcer said.

"Great job, Taffyta!" Malva cheered while the candy citizens beamed and whistled.

 _"THIRD PLACE: SWIZZLE MALARKEY!"_ the announcer.

Meiji raised a fist into the air.

"Way to go, Swizzle!" Meiji cheered.

It went on like that for ten more minutes, the announcer saying the places that each Sugar Rush racer got, the candy citizens cheering and not caring about if their Sugar Rush racer got last, King Candy doing another speech congratulating the Sugar Rush racers while Vanellope held her golden trophy, and such. Once everything was done, the candy citizens began to leave as the Sugar Rush racers ran towards their parents in the stands.

"Your the best, Taffyta!" Malva said.

"Great job out there!" Biscuit said.

"Are you hurt?" Icy asked in concern.

"You were amazing, Candlehead!" Candella said.

Licortwist watched everything from his spot in the popcorn stand. He saw how the Sugar Rush racers hugged their parents, and how the adults would lift them in their arms and kiss their children. He saw Vanellope being one of those kids. King Candy lifted her in the air, threw her up, and then caught her. Vanellope laughed all the way while Maltina held the gold trophy.

Licortwist felt strange. He felt sad and slightly angry at the same time. He thought about it and then concluded that he was jealous because it was the most reasonable explanation that he could think of. All of the kids that he just met could share happy moments with their family, but he would never have his parents again. He decided to look away to stop thinking about it.

 _"Thinking like this is wrong. King Candy and Maltina are trying to keep me happy and give me company. I shouldn't be so negative. I should be thankful for what I already have."_ Licortwist thought.

He decided to join everyone down at the track. Soon after, he, Vanellope, King Candy, and Maltina left after saying goodbye to the Sugar Rush racers and their parents.


	12. Licortwist And Candlehead

**Chapter 12: Licortwist And Candlehead**

A month passed since the race. Since then, Licortwist had gotten to know the Sugar Rush racers and their parents better, and he became great friends with all of them, even Taffyta, Rancis, Malva, and Bomba. However, three weeks after the race, King Candy found out exactly what happened to Licorice Island after one of the citizens escaped from the island. From what he learned, a man named Soren and an army of his own candy citizens had made the siege that forced Licortwist to flee the island. After finding out, King Candy had sent an army of Oreo guards to try to fight Soren and his army, but Soren had a firm grip on Licorice Island and was able to put up a good fight. And because of King Candy underestimating Soren due to his madness and power, the Oreo army had to retreat. So for now, the Oreo army was building up it's forces to be powerful enough to take on the island again.

Unfortunately, after Licortwist found out from King Candy what had happened, his mind continued to deteriorate even worse. The Sugar Rush racers noticed that he was acting different and they support him, but their words of comfort did not help him.

* * *

 _"Location: Sugar Rush, June 28th 1997"_

One night, it was raining throughout Sugar Rush. Candlehead had invited Licortwist over to her house so they could spend some time together. The other Sugar Rush racers couldn't join them since they were all busy with things that they had to do. Licortwist sat on a couch in the living room while Candlehead showed off comics that she liked to read.

"Ooh, this one is one of my favorites." Candlehead said.

She showed Licortwist a cover of a boy riding on dragon-like beast, surrounded by four other people.

"The first issue of Super Samurai 6! It's about a group of people that get assigned to protect their country from a villain named Sunfire." Candlehead explained.

"That sounds interesting, Candlehead." Licortwist said quietly.

His face was blank and heavy, as though he was exhausted. Candlehead put down the comic and sat closer to her friend. She gently took his hand, their fingers interlocking.

"Licortwist, I know that you miss your parents. I may not have known them like you did, but that doesn't mean that they weren't important to me and the rest of our friends. And we'll always be here for you." Candlehead said reassuringly.

She paused and looked away, blushing a little.

"You know, if I had one superpower right now, I would give you a big hug to remove all of your pain and every tragedy in your life." Candlehead said.

Licortwist was suddenly reminded of an old conversation that he and Candlehead had shared earlier.

"Hey, Candlehead, there's something that's been bothering me." Licortwist said.

Candlehead's face lit up and she leaned forward, giving Licortwist her full attention.

"Why do most superhero origin stories have protagonists mature or become heroes only when they receive some sort of personal tragedy? They don't need some trauma to push them into becoming heroes. And what if they don't become heroes, but villains instead?" Licortwist asked.

Candlehead became quiet as she tried to think of a good answer to his question.

"Well, people who suffered a lot become superheroes because they don't want others to suffer the same thing too. That's why they're burdened with a lot of responsibilities. And if they're not careful, they might slowly become the very villains that they swore to fight." Candlehead replied.

Licortwist fell silent, but he was still not convinced by Candlehead's explanation.

"Besides, your parents aren't really gone, as long as you still remember them." Candlehead added, trying to sound hopeful.

Licortwist nodded. Candlehead smiled and stood up.

"How about we take a walk to clear your mind?" Candlehead asked.

Licortwist sighed and got up. Once he did, he felt Candlehead's arms wrap tight around his body from behind before he was pulled into a hug. He suddenly found himself crying about Cindy and Gary again.

"Why are so you nice to me? I don't deserve such kindness after what I've done. I couldn't protect or save the people that are precious to me." Licortwist asked through his sobs.

Candlehead allowed Licortwist to cry, and she just continued hugging him.

* * *

It continued to rain heavily while Licortwist and Candlehead took a walk outside in Sugar Town. As they were on their walk, a man had tried to mug them. Licortwist had used the licorice pieces to fend him off, and the man had started running away. So now, Licortwist and Candlehead were running after him, and they eventually cornered him in an alleyway. However, the criminal didn't seem like he was going to give up without a fight. He held up a knife and tried to stab at Candlehead, but Licortwist tackled the man and began punching him.

 _"How dare this scum try to kill my friend!"_ Licortwist thought angrily.

Licortwist could feel his rage reaching a boiling point as he continued pummeling the man's face and venting other frustrations on him.

"That's enough! You don't have to go too far!" Candlehead shouted.

She pulled Licortwist off of the man. Suddenly, the two heard the police sirens and they disappeared quickly. Licortwist had the licorice pieces bring himself and Candlehead to the top of a nearby building, and once they were on the roof, he glared at the Birthday themed girl through the thick rain.

"Why did you stop me? He almost killed you!" Licortwist asked angrily.

Candlehead sighed and removed her cupcake beanie, letting the rain fall on her head and face.

"Licortwist, I know your upset, but hurting people won't heal the pain." Candlehead replied.

"Don't tell me how I should feel! Your not mom or dad!" Licortwist growled.

The green haired girl winced at these harsh words, but she came closer to the former prince, her face inches away from his.

"Alright, I'm not your parents. But I'm still your friend that's not going to give up on you." Candlehead said.

Licortwist thought that Candlehead was going to hug him again. He scowled and turned around.

"I'm going back to the castle. Don't follow me." Licortwist ordered in a cold tone.

He ran off, leaving a heartbroken Candlehead behind.


	13. Spiraling

**Chapter 13: Spiraling**

Licortwist finally stopped running when he came to a secluded area in a dark narrow alley. He let the icy raindrops fall on his head as he leaned against a wall to catch his breath. He felt disgusted with himself for shouting at Candlehead and leaving her behind when the girl was trying to help him.

"Why did I say those things? Why can't I do anything right for once? I'm such an idiot!" Licortwist asked, his heart filled with shame and anger.

Suddenly, he heard a couple of voices talking nearby. They seemed to be coming from around the alley. Licortwist aimlessly followed the sound, his feet feeling heavy like cement. Around the corner and standing under a dry spot outside the back of what looked like a restaurant were a duo of famous criminals known as the Banzai Brothers. They were exchanging money and talking to another man. He stayed hidden in the shadows as he listened to their conversation.

"So every time he wins a fight, he gives all the cash to me." the man, who was named Yuan, explained.

"Are you really that okay with us landing your cousin in the hospital? You should have seen how twisted his arm looked after we broke it." the older Banzai Brother asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

"Hey, he keeps annoying me. I was sick and tired of it and decided to do something about him." Yuan replied.

"Excuse me?" Licortwist asked.

The three men turned to see Licortwist approaching them. A dark shadow came over the boy's face.

"Why would you treat an injured person with such disrespect?" Licortwist asked. He then turned to Yuan and asked in a low voice "This cousin of yours... he obviously sees you as someone important to him, yet you don't care how much he gets hurt as long as he gives you his winnings?".

"You have no business coming in here to tell us how we should treat people. Who do you think you are?" the younger Banzai brother asked angrily.

Licortwist ignored him as he let dark thoughts clouding his heart. He summoned the licorice pieces and formed them into spikes, which made Yuan and the Banzai Brothers uneasy.

"Hey, do you think that some lives are worth helping after all? You better speak up now and tell me what I'm fighting for." Licortwist asked in a strange tone, his eyes seeming lifeless and cold.

Lightning flashed and thunder clapped over their heads as Licortwist ominously waited for their answer.

* * *

 _"Location: Sugar Rush, June 29th 1997"_

The following morning, the rain stopped falling but the sky was still cloudy and gray. The Sugar Rush racers went to visit Licortwist at the castle before they headed to the racetrack to practice racing, but to their shock, Vanellope, Maltina, and King Candy told them that he had not come back the previous night.

"I don't know what's happening to him. He was starting to act like his old self again, but now he suddenly collapsed back into depression." Maltina said in a worried tone.

By now, all of the Sugar Rush racers knew about Licortwist's life, since he, Vanellope, Rancis, and Creamy told them about it. Sticky gently placed a hand on the queen's shoulder.

"We'll find him and bring him back to you. Licortwist is our best friend." Sticky said softly and reassuringly.

Maltina sniffled and wiped away her tears.

"Just bring him back safe." Maltina ordered, putting on a tiny smile.

Rancis chuckled.

"We'll do that." Rancis said.

Taffyta noticed from the corner of her eye that Candlehead wasn't smiling or acting upbeat like usual. She was even acting strange earlier when the group decided to drop by the castle.

The Sugar Rush racers (now including Vanellope) left the castle, and they walked away from the castle until they came to a clearing where their karts were.

"Where do you think Licortwist went off to? You don't suppose something terrible happened to him, do you?" Citrusella asked nervously.

"Citrusella, this is Licortwist we're talking about. He survived near-death experiences and all kinds of danger." Minty replied.

Taffyta frowned and pointed at Candlehead.

"But I think I know who the last person that saw Licortwist was." Taffyta said.

Candlehead gulped nervously.

"I d-don't know where he went! We took a walk, and he said that he wanted to go back to the castle and told me not to follow him!" Candlehead explained.

"There's something that your not telling us." Taffyta said.

Candlehead become reluctant, but she caved in and told the others about Licortwist's scary behavior the previous night. The others were left stunned when the green haired girl finished.

"That idiot." Taffyta muttered.

"What do we do now? Should we go out and find him?" Torvald asked.

Taffyta sighed, jumped into the Pink Lightning, and turned to the others.

"I'll go find him, since I'm faster." Taffyta said.

Before the others could stop her, Taffyta was already speeding down the street.

* * *

Licortwist silently stood on a beach called Sugarcube Cove, looking out at Licorice Island, which was visible on the horizon. He couldn't remember what exactly happened the previous night, but he felt tired.

"Hey, mom and dad. I'm sorry for not talking to you sooner. I had a lot of things on my mind." Licortwist said, staring out at the horizon.

He wondered if his parents were listening to him at the moment. His heart was filled with despair and his legs felt ready to give out. His throat felt as though there was a stiff limp that prevented him from speaking. He finally fell on his knees and let hot tears fall down his face.

"Guys, I'm sorry that I couldn't save you. It's my fault that your gone. It's my fault." Licortwist said through his sobs.

He heard someone approaching him from behind and felt a hand touch his shoulder. He looked up to see Taffyta looking down at him, looking relieved to see him.

"So, this is where you've been. You owe the queen an apology. She was so worried about you. She didn't know where you went." Taffyta said.

Licortwist ran a hand over his face.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I wasn't myself last night." Licortwist said in an apologetic tone.

Taffyta frowned and crossed her arms.

"No kidding. Candlehead told me and the others about the way you treated her last night. You can be so cruel, you know. Sorry if I sound harsh, but it's the truth. We can't always be walking on eggshells and waiting for you to explode on us." Taffyta said.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Her eyes softened in sadness.

"Your our friend, Licortwist. You may try to push us away, but I don't think that your parents would ever forgive us if we abandoned you now." Taffyta said.

She then sighed again, grabbed Licortwist by his arm, and pulled him to his feet.

"Come on. Let's get you back to the castle." Taffyta said gently.

* * *

Taffyta brought Licortwist back to the castle, where Vanellope, the other Sugar Rush racers, Maltina, and King Candy made sure that he was alright. He said that he was fine and headed back to a guestroom that he had gotten two days after the race.

An hour later, he left the room and headed back downstairs. He walked into the living room, where he saw Maltina sitting on a couch in the castle living room, watching the news on a TV. The reporter was talking about a mysterious triple murder where three men, two of them nicknamed the "Banzai Brothers", had all been found dead in the back alley of a restaurant. According to the CLAW officers, the three men had been stabbed multiple times and suffered bruises on their bodies as though someone had brutally beaten them up.

"What is this world coming to?" Maltina asked in horror.

Licortwist watched the news a little longer before going back up the stairs to his guestroom. Once in the guestroom, he flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Memories ran throughout his head. He remembered the two nights that he had lost Cindy and Gary, Vanellope and Maltina almost getting hurt by Gale and the bandits, and the terrified screams of the men that he had killed in cold blood. He then realized that no matter how much he tried to do something good or fix something, it blew up in his face. He wondered what his parents would think of him now, seeing how he had failed to save them. His chest tightened, but he forced himself to numb the pain.

 _"I guess I don't have what it takes to be a hero."_ Licortwist thought.

He looked over at a picture of Cindy and Gary on a table next to the bed and picked it up. He stared at his parents faces for a long time before coming to a grim decision. He tore the photograph of Cindy and Gary in two and then threw it onto the floor.

"So be it then." Licortwist said in a dead tone.


	14. Trouble

**Chapter 14: Trouble**

Night eventually came, and the Sugar Rush racers stood in the parking lot of Reese's store. They were waiting patiently for Candlehead to show up while the cold breeze brushed against their bodies. Eventually, Candlehead drove into the parking lot in the Ice Screamer, got out, and ran over to everyone.

"Well, it's about time you showed up!" Swizzle said angrily.

"Sorry, I had to grab a bite to eat." Candlehead said in an apologetic tone.

"You were late for half an hour!" Swizzle said.

Vanellope looked at everyone.

"Did anyone manage to call Licortwist? I couldn't reach him on his phone." Vanellope asked.

"Maybe it was damaged and he doesn't know it." Sticky suggested.

"He still should have remembered that we're supposed to meet up here tonight. Let's go fetch him." Vanellope said.

"He might still be on his way here, though." Rancis said.

He looked conflicted to leave their spot, even though he was worried about their friend. Suddenly, Taffyta heard something and stared off in the distance.

"Guys, do you hear that?" Taffyta asked.

Everyone turned to where she was pointing. The sound of police sirens was heard in the distance, coming straight from the direction of the castle. The group realized that something was wrong.

"Let's move!" Vanellope ordered.

The Sugar Rush racers got into their karts and drove towards the castle with ferocious speed. Eventually, they reached the castle, stopped near it, and got out of their karts. They ran to the castle, where a horrible scene reached their eyes. The double kart was lying on top of a smashed police car outside of the castle, and a worried crowd had formed, talking among themselves. The Sugar Rush racers tried to find Licortwist, King Candy, and Maltina in the crowd, but they only found King Candy and Maltina in the castle, sitting at a table and talking to Wynchel the Eclair and Duncan the Donut. King Candy looked nervous, while Maltina looked pale with shock and distraught. The Sugar Rush racers immediately ran over to King Candy and Maltina, who looked relieved to see them.

"Kids, your here!" Maltina said in relief.

"Mom, what happened outside? Where's Licortwist?" Vanellope asked in confusion.

"That's what we're trying to figure out. Do you kids know Licortwist Hothead?" Wynchel asked.

"Yeah, is he in trouble?" Jubileena asked.

"He could be. But do you mind answering a few questions for us?" Duncan asked.

The Sugar Rush racers each nodded. Wynchel pulled out a bag of what looked like damaged licorice pieces.

"These were retrieved from the incident today. We talked to the king and queen, and they identified them for us and said that they were licorice pieces that Licortwist could control." Wynchel explained.

"Licortwist can control them, alright. But what's this got to do with him?" Snowanna asked.

"We talked to him earlier in order to ask him a few questions. But when we tried to do so, Licortwist suddenly fled." Wynchel replied.

"What do you mean fled?" Adorabeezle asked.

"As we arrived, Mr. Hothead was in his room. I don't know what exactly happened, but he created more of the licorice pieces and had them attack us and nearly the queen. He even smashed our car, but nobody got seriously hurt. By the time we called for backup, he escaped." Duncan replied.

The Sugar Rush racers became silent as they absorbed all of the information. Citrusella looked over and saw Maltina's face contorted with pain.

"You wouldn't know where Mr. Hothead would have gone to, would you? We know that he may be your friend, but friendship shouldn't be an excuse to protect someone that's dangerous." Duncan asked.

"Licortwist is NOT a criminal! He's a good boy who just wanted to help people!" Maltina protested angrily.

"Your majesty..." Wynchel started to say.

Suddenly, a CLAW officer hurried inside the castle.

"Wynchel, Duncan, we got the suspect heading south into Sugar Town! Backup is requested!" the CLAW officer shouted.

Wynchel and Duncan nodded, and they looked at the Sugar Rush racers, King Candy, and Maltina.

"We'll keep in touch." Duncan said.

He, Wynchel, and the CLAW officers ran out of the castle. Once they were gone, Maltina sighed.

"What are we going to do?" Maltina asked.

Candlehead became quiet, trying to think of an answer to tell her.

"We go find him." Candlehead replied.


End file.
